applied to the Committee, in the spring of the year 1821, to be sent out to preach the Gospel to the Jews in the East, without stopping to pursue the course of study which the Committee had considered requisite, and had prescribed. Under those circumstances, the Committee did not think it right to authorise Mr. Wolff to proceed alone upon the important duties of a foreign mission; and, having no person, at the time, qualified to accompany him, they urged him to delay his departure, under a promise, that they would, at no very distant period, avail themselves of his services, adopt him as their agent, and send him forth in that character to Palestine. Such, however, was the ardour of Mr. Wolff, and his anxiety for the spiritual welfare of his brethren, that he would allow no consideration whatever to deter him from his purpose: the Committee, therefore, resigned him into the hands of some private friends; who, aided by the contributions of other individuals, enabled him to proceed upon his Mission to Palestine. Of his progress, indeed, during this Mission, your Committee were kept regularly informed. Some of the most gratifying and important intelligence connected with the objects of the Society, which has been inserted in the Jewish Expositor, as well as in the Annual Reports, has been derived from his Letters and Journals.

Your Committee felt that the objects of Mr. Wolff's Mission were so intimately in unison with the great designs of the Society, that they were fully justified in contributing largely, from time to time, to his support; and finally, in repaying to the friends before alluded to, the balance of such part of those expenses as were properly applicable to his Mission, when, with their concurrence, he was again taken into immediate and exclusive connection with your Society. He is now gone forth, as your Committee trust, under the Divine Blessing, to carry the glad tidings of eternal salvation, through a Crucified Saviour, to his lost brethren of the House of Israel.

Your Committee feel it also to be their duty to add a few words respecting the publication of the past Journals of Mr. Wolff, relating to his Missionary Labours, from the time of his first departure from England to his recent return.

The Committee are of opinion, and have contended, that, under the circum

stances of the case and the nature of their connection with Mr. Wolff, the right of publishing those Journals belonged exclusively to your Society. This right, however, is not acknowledged by the parties above mentioned, to whom the Journals were originally addressed, and who now have the actual possession of them: the Committee, therefore, in order to discharge themselves from the responsibility, either direct or implied, of having given their sanction to the publication of any document not previously subjected to their inspection and revision, have had no alternative left to them, but to resolve, that they do not hold themselves responsible for the future publication of any part of the contents of these Journals.

The future correspondence of Mr. Wolff, on the subject of his Missionary Labours, will be addressed to your President or Secretaries, and his Journals will be the sole property of your Society. Conclusion.

In concluding the Report of their transactions at home and abroad during the year now past, your Committee would again call upon you to offer up your sincere thanks to Almighty God, for the success with which He has continued to bless your labours, and for the encouraging prospects daily opening to the Missionaries of your Society. They can say, with truth, The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad: and they would always remember, that what HAS BEEN done, is the Lord's doing: it is not, it cannot be, the work of man : it is not the result of human speculation.

Your Committee are well aware that the record of your Missionary Exertions presents much that will tend to baffle presumptuous conjecture, to check the risings of vain glory, and to disappoint the designs of a carnal policy. Almost every line of the Missionary History serves to reiterate the necessary caution, Cease ye from man!...The Promise is the Lord's, and the Accomplishment is his also: but the Work is yours; and therefore the grand object of your Society is, to aim at a general diffusion of the knowledge of the Gospel among the dispersed of Israel and Judah--to seek them out of all places whither they have been scattered-and to preach to them Christ Crucified, as being to them that are called, Jews as well as Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

(see p. 31) by Mr. Shrewsbury. From their communications we shall collect some account of the country where they are labouring,

and of the state and habits of the people, with the opening prospects of good among them. Mr. Shrewsbury gives the following description of the

State and Government of the Country. Caffreland is a large tract of country, bounded on the south by the Great Fish River, on the east by the ocean, and on the north by the tribes called Tambookies and Mambookies: it is about 250 miles in length, and perhaps nearly 200 in breadth. It is a land of hills and valleys, much better watered than most countries of Southern Africa: a great part might be rendered very productive by agriculture; but it is only occasionally that a traveller meets with culti vated land; chiefly the low grounds that lie along the sides of the rivers or of some stream of water. It is almost entirely pasture-land, and cattle are the riches of the Natives: they have no sheep, and but few goats: we have purchased a few sheep, and intend to encourage the Natives in an attention

to their increase.

The chief support of the people is milk, which they never drink new; but, putting it into skin sacks, it is kept till it becomes curded and sour, when it serves them for food and drink together: the taste of the sour milk is extremely unpleasant to a European. Occasionally a beast is slaughtered, and every man present in the kraal partakes of a part of it. There is a kind of rude hospitality toward one another invariably observed: a Caffre on a journey never takes any provision for the way to whatever kraal he comes, or into whatever hut he enters, he sits down and eats and drinks of the sour milk as much as he pleases; and tarries a day or a week according to his pleasure, being considered the whole time as one of the family. The grain raised on their cultivated grounds consists principally of Indian Corn; and a small husky, but very productive grain, which is called Caffre Corn: this is very good when boiled, sweetened with a little sugar, and new milk poured over it. The land is cultivated by the women: the men look after the cattle, and hunt the elephant and

game.

The mode of living and the civil government of the people are patriarchal. They are divided into tribes, and every tribe is sub-divided into families; much

after the manner of the Jews, in the

times of Moses and Joshua. They have inferior Captains, and superior Chiefs or Princes; and these latter have Counsellors, without whom nothing of importance can be adopted. There are three principal Chiefs in CaffrelandGaika, Islambi, and Hintza: the last is considered as the greatest man of all: they do not interfere in one another's affairs, unless it be something of general moment; but much mutual jealousy exists between them, which has sometimes led to war. It is not probable, however, from the present aspect of affairs, that war will be speedily known again in Caffreland: never was there so much quiet and peace; so that, to use a Caffre mode of expression, A man may travel in safety without his assagai."

Nothing is more extraordinary and unaccountable than that authority which the superior Chiefs, and the inferior also, maintain over their people. They have no external shadow of authority: the Chief's hut is not to be distinguished from the people's: he wears nothing but a kaross; usually however a tiger s skin, instead of the skin of an ox: he has no sceptre, no staff, no military attached to his person: when he holds a council, his throne is the ground, and branches of trees his canopy The whole of the Caffre Tribes are warriors

The Caffres are an acute and inquisitive people; and shew a peculiar tendency to scepticism; since they are much more ready at raising objections against Divine Truth, than disposed to receive it with a meek and lowly mind. Much care and wisdom are required in convey, ing instruction to the Caffre Tribes, or they will become mere smatterers in science, and nation of infidels.

While

the evidences of the truth of Revelation are laid before them, so far as they can be made to understand them without a knowledge of history and nations, that they may have rational ground for faith in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, it will be of all things the most necessary and important point to be insisted on from the beginning, that it is indispensably necessary, in order to salvation, that they make the reasonings of their mind bow to the high and holy authority of the unerring Word of God.

Religion of the Caffres. Mr. Shrewsbury adds, on this subject

As to religion, the state of this people

differs from that of all others whom I have known. They may be said to be without any religion, true or false. Idolatry is wholly unknown amongst them: there is no idol, nor any worshipper of idols or of demons throughout the whole country-no sacred groves, nor venerated rivers, nor consecrated stones. But they are without any knowledge of the Supreme Being, nor do they in any way worship Him. It is true, some of the people sing a Native Hymn to the praise of Utixo, or God; but this they have learned from an extraordinary man, named Links, who died a few years ago, and was considered by the Caffres as a prophet: he was, himself, either a Caffre or Hottentot; and, from living with the Dutch in the Colony, gathered some notions concerning God and Jesus Christ, which he propagated throughout this whole land: in particular, he contrived to compose a Native Hymn, which in the main contains sound divinity; and having himself set it to a plaintive and very affecting air, he sung and taught it to the people. Wherever we have travelled, we have found a knowledge of Links's hymn and tune has been preserv. ed. Yet Links himself was a polygamist,

he

and otherwise an immoral man: seems to have been influenced by a sort

of ambition, when he found that his su

perior knowledge gained him credit among his countrymen. Yet it is the opinion of our Brethren that this man was the means of scattering some rays of light in this land of darkness.

While free from idolatry, the Caffres are slaves to the most debasing fears and superstitions. They are not, as many other Heathens, demon-worshippers, or under any particular dread of the Prince of Darkness, but they are held in perpetual terror by a fear of witchcraft; believing, as they do most firmly, that individuals among themselves, of both sexes, are capable of exercising on their persons and families a secret evil influence, to which are to be ascribed all the ills which they meet with throughout life.

Cruelty of Caffre Superstitions. Mr. Kay thus speaks of an assembly of the Natives, held for the discovery of some thieves, who had stolen part of his property:

Dec. 1827.

They are calling in the aid of one of their most celebrated wizards. In reply to my remonstrances against such a proceeding, they urge, that the crime is one of extraordinary magnitude, and one which involves the interest of the whole tribe-that Islambi is determined to be

An

avenged on his adversaries—and that such are their modes of finding them out and of executing justice. I entreated that no further search might be made; stating, that I would much rather never see the articles which had been stolen from me, than that they should take such steps on account of them. All, however, seemed to be of no avail. assemblage took place, amounting to some hundreds of persons, of both sexes, with the Young Chief at their head. As it was fully expected that some one would be killed on the spot, I felt it to be a duty to be present, in order to prevent bloodshed if possible. The men were all armed, some with eight or ten assagais; which rendered the appearance of the body exceedingly formidable. After a few minutes' consultation, they commenced one of their heathenish ceremonies; at the conclusion of which the old warriors took their seats, and formed the court. A sorceress than came forth,

preceded by several females, having on a black garment suspended from her shoulders, three large hairy tufts fixed on her head, and several spears in her right-hand: her province was to point out the thieves, whom she pretended to have seen in a dream: when she had exhibited herself in a variety of disgusting gestures, she announced the names of two persons, one of whom was then in the circle: this done, a number of

young men were ordered to seize him immediately; which they did in a most

rude and unmerciful manner: while two or three held their spears over his head and breast, the others completely stripped him; not only of his kaross, but of every little ornament which he possessed. For the space of a few minutes the struggle was such as to excite fears in my own mind, that they were actually murdering him: I therefore stepped up to the Young Chief, and entreated him to interpose, and prevent their doing the man any personal injury: he at once acceded to my request. Nevertheless, the poor fellow was dragged forth, and arraigned at the feet of the Council, in a state of perfect nudity, kneeling on one knee: he seemed as if he laboured under a con4 E